The Character And Virtues Of Lady Zeinab (PBUH).part2

Her wise speeches and sermons, supported by the Quran verses, in Kufa, in the mansion of Ubayd Allah Ibn Ziyad and in the court of Yazid, all testify to her knowledge. Ibn Abbas has narrated the high valuable speech of Lady Fatimah (PBUH) about “Fadak” from Lady Zeinab (PBUH) and he has said: “Our Aqilat”, Zeinab bint Ali, said: …. In addition to this, her teaching and interpreting of the Quran, for women of Kufa at the time of Imam Ali’s government, shows her knowledge.

Lady Zeinab (PBUH) was in the position of narrating hadith, so that Muhammad Ibn Amr, Ata Ibn Sa’ib, Fatimah Bent Hussein and others have narrated hadith from Zeinab (PBUH).

Even she had learned the knowledge of the upcoming events from his father; like some special companions of Prophet (PBUH) such as Salman, Abu Dhar, and some companions of Imam Ali (PBUH) such as Maytham Tammar and Rashid Hejri knew these secretes.

Lady Zeinab (PBUH) was filled with the knowledge. It is natural that who learned knowledge in presence of Prophet (PBUH) (the city of science) and Imam Ali (PBUH) (its gateway) should have the sea of science.

Consequently, Lady Zeinab (PBUH) was “Aalematun Ghairo Mualemah” so that her argumentation in Kufa and Levant in front of the enemies was like her mother’s argumentation, Lady Fatimah (PBUH), about “Fadak”.

2- Worshiping and praying

Worshiping is the highest grade of humans. Each of the infallible Imams (PBUH) had the highest grade. Lady Zeinab (PBUH) had the highest grade of worshiping and bowing in front of the Lord.

Lady Zeinab (PBUH) was aware of the Prophet’s prayers and meditations and also of Imam Ali and Fatimah’s worshiping. She had seen Imam Hassan’s praying at nights and days. She had observed Imam Hussein’s praying, especially in the evening and the morning of Ashura. Each of them was a worshiping lesson or pattern for her.

Lady Zeinab (PBUH) would worship God at night. In her lifetime, she never quit praying so that she was called “Abida Al ‘Ali”. She never abandoned her vigil, even at the nights of tenth and eleventh of Muharram. Fatimah, the daughter of Imam Hussein (PBUH) has said:

At the night of Ashura, my aunt was worshiping God continuously; she was praying and praising and her tears flowed steadily.

Imam Sajjad (PBUH) has said:

My aunt, Zeinab, did her obligatory and recommended prayers steadily during the captivity, from Kufa to the Levant. In some places, she would say her prayers while sitting due to her weakness and hunger; since she divided her rations among children and her power was lost.

Lady Zeinab’s relation with God was the way in which Imam Hussein (PBUH) said to his sister on the Ashura day:

“O, my sister, do not forget to pray for me at night prayers.”

3- Hijab and decency

One of the important duties of women in Islam is wearing Hijab. In the Quran, there are some verses which point to the necessity of Hijab for women and in fourteen verses , it alarms us about modesty and chastity. Also there are many hadiths which emphasize this subject.

Aqilat Bani Hashim, was like her mother, Lady Fatimah (PBUH), in Hijab and decency and she paid a lot of attention to this subject. Before the Ashura and their captivity, no male out of kinship had seen her. As it is said in history:

When she would go to go to the Prophet’s grave, Imam Ali (PBUH) asked her to go at night. He asked Imam Hassan and Hussein (PBUH): “Accompany your sister”. Hassan (PBUH) was in front; Hussein (PBUH) at the behind, and Zeinab (PBUH) moved in the middle. They were sent, by Imam Ali, to turn off the light of Prophet’s tomb so that no male out of kinship would see her.

Yahya Mazani says: “In Medina, I was the neighbor of Imam Ali (PBUH) for a long time. By God, in this period I never saw Lady Zeinab nor heard the voice of her (PBUH). Her Hijab and decency was in a way in which Allama Mamaghani has said:

“In Hijab and decency, she was unique. No man, except her father and brothers, had seen her until Ashura.”